Hospital type wall lamps



Oct. 31, 1961 R. c. ANlSFlELD 3,007,038

HOSPITAL TYPE WALL LAMPS Filed Sept. 4, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RICHARD C. ANIS FIELD BY KM 44am War/(33x ATTORNEYS Oct. 31, 1961 R. c. ANISFIELD HOSPITAL TYPE WALL LAMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1959 FIG. 3

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,007,038 HQSPITAL TYRE WALL LAMPS Richard C. Anisfield, 95 Yantacaw Brook Road, Upper Montclair, NJ. Filed Sept. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 838,174 4 Claims. (Cl. 240-73) This invention relates to wall lamps, and more particularly to wall lamps for multiple purpose use, for example in hospital rooms or bedrooms, or in hotels, motels or dormitories.

The illumination requirements for hospital room lamps are moderately stringent. Thus, for example, it is de sirable to provide diffused indirect lighting for general illumination. In addition, more intense direct illumination should be available when the patient wishes to read in bed. The inclusion of a subdued night-lighting facility in the wall lamp is also desirable. Furthermore, in addition to adequate and versatile lighting, it is desirable that the wall lamps include one or more convenience outlets.

Up to the present time, wall lamps for hospital room illumination have been in the form of boxy, enclosed fixtures. These fixtures have generally been difficult to install and maintain, have tended to overheat, and most of them have been ineflicient in the distribution of the light output of the bulbs which are used. Expensive and complex optical systems were often used. These disadvantages, when taken together with the total lack of aesthetic appeal of the boxy lamp fixtures which have been proposed, has meant that suitable non-adjustable Wall lamps for hospital rooms were not available.

Accordingly, the principal objects of the present invention include simplifying and improving the appearance of hospital type wall lamps for providing direct, indirect and night-light illumination. Improving the ease of installation and maintenance of wall lamps is another object of this invention.

Additional objects of this invention include reducing the operating temperature and improving the lighting efiiciency of wall lamps for use by hospital patients.

In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects are achieved by the combination of an open formed upper metal bowl for indirect lighting, and a small casing which serves both as a bracket for the overlying bowl and as an enclosure for the directional and the night light. The casing is just large enough to contain a downwardly angled light bulb below the contour of the indirect illumination bowl. The night light bulb is also mounted within the casing, in the space between the angled direct illumination bulb and the wall. A suitable simple lens is mounted toward the bottom of the casing, and is also angled downwardly and away from the wall. The casing and the indirect lighting bowl are secured together and are pivotally mounted on a back plate at the upper edge of the casing toward the wall. The indirect lighting bulb is mounted on the easing and pivots with it, while the direct illumination bulb and the night light are mounted on the back plate. With this arrangement, installation and maintenance including relarnping are, greatly facilitated. The portion of the indirect lighting bowl which forms the top of the movable casing is apertured. This structure, in combination with the extended heat-dissipating surface of the bowl makes for cooloperation and extended bulb life.

In accordance with a feature of the invention, a hos pital type wall lamp includes an open indirect lighting bowl, and a casing below and to one side of the indirect lighting bulb which acts both as a bracket for the bowl and as a housing for a direct or reading optical "ice system. In addition to the direct light, the housing may enclose a night light.

In accordance with another feature of my invention, the lamp is provided with a backplate, and the remainder of the casing and the indirect illumination bowl are pivotally secured to the upper edge of the backplate. In addition, the socket for the indirect lighting bulb is secured to the movable assembly, while the socket for the direct lighting bulb is secured to the backplate.

Other objects, features and advantages of my invention may be readily apprehended from a consideration of the following detailed description, from the claims and from the drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view of the exterior of the wall lamp in accordance with the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is a side view showing the internal arrangement of the component parts of the lamp of FIG- URE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a view of the lamp of FIGURE lwith the indirect illumination bowl and the attached casing swung out of the way to change the bulbs inside the casing.

With, reference to the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a view of a lamp in accordance vw'th the invention as it would be seen from below and from one side. The lamp includes an indirect lighting bowl 12, and a housing or casing 14 which encloses two additional lights. The lens 16, in combination with a bulb and a reflector inside the casing 14, form an optical system which directs high level illumination at an angle suitable for reading in bed. As disclosed below, a night light is also included in the casing 14.

The open indirect lighting bowl 12 performs a number of useful functions. First, by the very open nature of the bowl, it increases the heat radiation, as compared with many of the enclosed type fixtures which have been proposed heretofore. Secondly, when the bowl is of a thin metallic material, such as spun aluminum, heat generated within the casing 14 is conducted away from the casing and radiated from the lamp unit. The bowl also forms a part of the upper closure of the casing, and openings in this portion of the bowl serve to help dissipate the heat generated within the casing. Construction features of the bowl which may be noted in passing include the beaded upper edge which increases its rigidity, and the small openings 18 which provide a sparkling effect.

'On the bottom of the casing near the wall are mounted two convenience outlets, 20 and 22, and two switches 24 and 26. The toggle switch 24 controls the night light. The pull switch 26 is a four position switch which controls the indirect and the direct bulbs in the lamp. In addition to the Off position, the other switch positions energize the indirect light, the direct light, and both of these lights.

FIGURE 2 of the drawings shows the structural arrangement of the parts of my lamp in greater detail. As clearly shown in FIGURE 2, the three principal structural parts of the lamp are the indirect illumination bowl 12, the casing 14, and the sheet metal backplate 30. The bowl 12 is rigidly secured to the casing 14 by the screws 32. A gasket 34 is clamped between the bowl and the matching edges of the casing to avoid light leakage at the joint.

The backplate 30 is rigidly secured to the wall in practice, and is provided with a number of suitable openings to fit standard junction boxm of all types. The casing 14 and the bowl 12 are pivotally secured to the backplate 30 by the piano type hinge 36. As shown to better advantage in FIGURE 3, the bowl 12 and the casing 14 may be readily tilted back for relamping or other servicing.

Other principal components which are clearly shown in FIGURE 2 include the lens 16, with its retaining ring 38, the convenience outlet 20, and the switch 26. The night light bulb 40, the direct light bulb 42, and the indirect lighting bulb 44 are mounted on their respective sockets 46, 48, and 5t In this regard, it may be noted that the socket 50 for the indirect illumination bulb 44 is mounted on the upper part of the casing 14 to form part of the movable assembly. The sockets 46 and 48 for the direct ad the night light, however, are secured to the backplate 30 so that they may be accessible when the movable assembly is raised. Y

The bowl 12 is provided with openings including one through which the socket strap 52 for the socket 50 passes. These openings facilitate cooling of the casing formed by the casting 14 and the backplate 30 in which the direct and the night lights are enclosed.

For purposes of completeness, the night light socket strap 54 and the direct light socket strap 56 which serve to secure these two sockets to the backplate 30 are designated. In addition, the terminal block 58, through which the connections (not shown) to the various electrical components are accomplished is shown secured to the 'b ackplate.

:It may also be noted that the center of the direct light bulb 42 is about on the axis of the plane convex lens 16, and that the bulb 42 is close to the lens. Furthermore, the axis of the lens 16 passes below the pivot point of the hinge 36. With the axis of the lens 16 near the pivot point, or below it, adequate clearance is assured as the movable assembly including the lens is swung up for servicing.

The optical system for direct illumination includes, in addition to the bulb 42 and the lens 16 mentioned above, the reflector 60. The reflector 6t} directs most of the light from the bulb 42 to the lens 16. Accordingly, this illumination system is highly efficient in directing most of the available light from the bulb 42 in a beam which is pointed outwardly and downwardly from the lamp along the axis of the lens.

FIGURE 3 shows the lamp with the bowl 12 and the casting 14 in the raised position, ready for servicing. The movable portion of the lamp assembly is maintained in the raised position with respect to the backplate 30 by the support arm 62, which is pivotally secured to the backplate 30 by the support bracket 64. The bowl 12 is provided with a hole 66 into which the outer end of the arm 62 fits to maintain the movable assembly in the raised position. The direct illumination bulb 42 may be readily removed at once when the movable assembly is in the raised position. In this regard it may be noted that the bulb 42 and its reflector 60 have been removed in the view of FIGURE 3.

In order to remove and replace the night light bulb 40, the night light shield 68 must be tilted back, as shown in FIGURE 3. The night light shield 68 is of insulating sheet material, and the upper portion of this insulating sheet covers the terminal block. The night light slot 69 which appears clearly in FIGURES 1 and 3 provides a single dim ray of downwardly directed light. Light from the night light bulb 40 is blocked by the shield 68 from shining out through the fixture in other directions.

It may also be noted with reference to FIGURE 3, that the plate 70 in which the convenience outlets and the switches are mounted is secured to and is bent out of the same piece of sheet metal which forms the backplate 30. The plate 70 is provided with two slots 72 and 74 for engagement with the movable assembly. Two lugs 76 and 78 on the movable casing 14 are provided with screw threaded holes. Screws (not shown) 4 fit into the slots 72 and 74 with the lugs 76 and 78 being located immediately above the slots 72, 74. When the screws are tightened up, a rigid assembly is produced.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are illustrative of the principles of the invention. Numerous other arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a hospital room type wall lamp, an open indirect illumination bowl, means for mounting a bulb in said bowl, a generally closed casing having a part of said bowl as at least a portion of its upper closure, said casing being secured below and to one side of said bowl to form the wall mounting bracket for said bowl, the part of said bowl forming part of said casing closure being apertured to facilitate cooling of said casing, and directional illumination means mounted in said casing for directing light downwardly and outwardly from said wall lamp.

2. In a hospital type wall lamp, a backplate for rigidly securing the lamp to a wall; a movable assembly pivotally secured to the upper edge of said backplate, said movable assembly including an open indirect illumination bowl, means for mounting a bulb in said bowl, a casing secured below and to one side of said bowl to form with said backplate the wall mounting bracket for said bowl, and a lens mounted in said casing and having its axis directed downwardly and outwardly from the lamp; and means secured to said backplate for mounting a bulb within said casing and substantially on the axis of said lens.

3. In a hospital type wall lamp, a backplate for rigidly securing the lamp to a wall; a movable assembly pivotally secured to the upper edge of said backplate, said movable assembly including an open indirect illumination bowl, means for mounting a bulb in said bowl, a casing secured below and to one side of said bowl to form with said backplate the wall mounting bracket for said bowl, and a lens mounted in said casing and having its axis directed downwardly and outwardly from the lamp; and mounting means for two additional bulbs secured to said backplate. V

4. In a hospital type wall lamp, an L-shaped backplate for rigidly securing the lamp to a wall; a movable assembly pivotally secured to the upper edge of said backplate, said movable assembly including an open indirect illumination bowl, means for mounting a bulb in said bowl, a casing secured below and to one side of said bowl to form with said backplate a combined housing and wall mounting bracket for said bowl, and a lens mounted in said casing and having its axis directed downwardly and outwardly from the lamp; means secured to said backplate for mounting a bulb within said housing and substantially on the axis of said lens; and at least one convenience outlet mounted in an outwardly extending portion of said L-shaped backplate which forms a portion of the bottom of said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,667,571 Versen Jan. 26, 1954 2,675,465 Saelen Apr. 13, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,065,882 France Jan. 13, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Spotray Bed Lamp Catalog, Mfgd. by Mitchell Mfg. Co. Received in Patent Oflice Aug. 10, 19384 sheets. 

